From the start
by Pilgrims-hands
Summary: Since there's not enough Bare fanfiction around, I thought I might try my hand at it. This describes all of the characters when they start middle school, and will continue for as long as I feel like it.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi I'm just adding a little contribution to the Bare fictionless world. This is my first fanfiction. Ever. So be nice, please! This is a work in progess, and with school and marching band it may be a little while between each chapter, but please have patience! After all, what's the point of writing if no one's going to read it? Please review, it's nice to know what people think. Anyway, this story takes place from when they all first meet, to the end of highschool. So yes, I will cover the musical. Some of these chapters will be quite long, but I'll try not to bore you too much. The title, which I had a hard time thinking of, was taken from the lyric "I loved you from the start" from the title song. It's quite fitting, no? So yea, if you have no idea what this is, or what it's about, it's slash, so if you don't like that, then turn around. Anyway, I won't keep you any longer, enjoy!**

There was something about this building. This old, towering building that truly terrified him. Why was he here? Why was he sent to this dismal looking place? There was just an air it gave off. The way it cast its looming shadow over everything near it, and the way it hid the sun behind its towers just made it look more and more like a prison. Well, that's technically what it is, isn't it? Actually, it was a boarding school. St. Cecilia's was a prestigious Catholic boarding school that kids from all over the country were sent to. Why he was one of them, he had no idea. Peter had gone to Catholic school all his life, but even his extended family was surprised when they found out his mother was shipping him to boarding school. He fought tooth and nail at first. What could he possibly expect from a boarding school? He already has religion shoved down his throat everyday, but now it's going to be non-stop, 24 hour, Jesus action. He could just imagine the math class "Now if you have 13 apostles and one traitor, how many apostles are going to hell?" he shuddered at the thought. He didn't hate his religion. In fact, he loved it. He loved going to church on Sunday and he always felt safe at night after he prayed. But he didn't need this much. He could have religion in his life, but he didn't want it to _be _his life. How could anyone have fun? _Did _they have fun? That's why he loved his old school. They all led normal lives. They had a family to go home to, just like everyone else. But now, all you have is a roommate. Oh God. Peter had nightmares over who his roommate was going to be. He imagined a short boy with glasses( they _always _have glasses) who went to bed as soon as the sun went down, and only listened to religious music. Ugh, he was probably one of those who managed to fit a bible quote at the end of every sentence. All he could do was hope that there were _some_ sane people there. He felt bad for the ones who lived across the country. He allowed himself to have the comforting thought that his mom would only be an hour away. Still though, he knew that was not a drive she would not be willing to take everyday. He knew he was going to miss her. By the way, the original question was never answered: Why was he here? Boarding schools were never cheap, and his family wasn't exactly rich. But his mother was adamant. She got the financial support of the whole family, even his father's in order to send him here. He knew there was no escape. What a way to start middle school.

Claire stepped out of the car and popped the trunk to get his bags. "Out. Now." she mouthed at him through the window. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped on the pavement. "Come on, pick up the pace. Grab the rest and let's go. We're already running late." she said sharply, with several bags hanging on her shoulder. He grabbed what was left and they took the hike to the front gates. "Don't they have someone here to help? How do they expect us to carry all this ourselves?" she said breathlessly as she set the heavy load down. After the gate, the walk only got longer. She found the intercom button by the gate, and pressed it impatiently. A loud voice boomed out of the small box "Please state your name and purpose". He held back a laugh as the who situation just reminded him of ordering at McDonalds. "My name is Claire Simmons. I'm here with my son Peter who's starting here next year." his mother yelled into the box. She might as well have said "I'll have the number 6 with extra onions please". "I'm sorry, please state your child's name again." the voice returned. "PETER. HIS NAME IS PETER SIMMONS" she yelled. "Wait one moment." the box answered. Slowly, the metal gate started to creak and open. He might've found this ominous, but he couldn't get over the humor of what just happened. They dragged his things up the long walkway, his mother cursing the school staff the entire time. He was tempted to say "Well, it seems terrible doesn't it? You know, I bet the teachers are bad too" but he knew he would just get scolded, so he didn't bother. When they finally got to the front door, a young a man came to greet them. "Allow me to take your things." he said politely. He was followed by another young man who took the rest. His mothered heaved a sigh of relief, but seemed more indignant then happy. "Finally." she growled. "Do you know where the front office is?" she asked exhaustedly. "Just follow us, ma'am." they said calmly, Peter supposed that they must be used to all the poor parents who had to trek all the way there with their child's luggage. They walked down the wide, locker covered hallways passing numbered doors and numerous staircases. Why were there lockers and classrooms here, wasn't this the dorm building? After a couple of twist and turns, they arrived at the front office. The two men held the door for Peter and Claire and they stepped inside. They walked up to the front desk and the woman up front greeted them with a forced smile. "Welcome to St. Cecilia's, how may I help you?" It was obviously the same woman who they talked to at the gate, so why she was asking this, he didn't know. "I'm here with my son Peter Simmons. He's starting here next year and we need to move him into his room." his mother said, as calmly as she could. The young secretary typed at her computer quickly then said "Wait one moment. Please have a seat." she said, as she got up and went into a door behind her desk. "I swear, if I hear 'wait one moment' one more time…" his mother growled as she took the closest seat. They waited for quite a bit longer then a moment until the young woman returned. Behind her was a tall, cheerful looking woman who looked excited to see them. "This is our guidance counselor Chantelle, she'll be more then happy to escort you to his room." Somehow, Peter believed that. He could tell that she was genuinely interested in meeting him. The African-American woman pushed past them and walked into the hallway. "Well, follow me please." she said and they got up and continued on their hike.

"Thank you so much for this, we would've been so lost." his mother said, trying to start a conversation. "Oh it's my pleasure, I enjoy helping the fresh meat." Chantelle said with a smile. They walked through the winding hallways and even ascended a staircase or two. He noticed that once they got on the second floor, the lockers and classrooms disappeared, replaced with numbered dorms and realized that the school and the dorms were connected. He saw a few other kids walking around with guides and tried to smile at them, but none even met his eyes. "You'll have a great time here." their guide said. "Of course, it'll be even better once I take my final vows." she beamed. "Oh you're going to be a nun?" his mother asked. "Well, if I ever can." Chantelle answered. "I've been working at it for quite some time, but hopefully I'll get it before your boy here graduates." she continued. "Does it really take that long?" Claire asked. "Longer then you think." she replied. "I don't mind counseling for now though. Peter, I want you to know that if anything's up, you can always come to me." she said, smiling down at him. "You'd be surprised at how many meltdowns we get from the 6th graders. It's no surprise though, it's tough being away from your family." she continued. 'Well _I_ feel better' Peter thought as they continued through the hallways. "Ah, here we are, room 524. I think I helped your roommate here already. He seems nice." she said as she slipped in the key and opened the door.

Peter had visions of what the room would be like. A stark white room with two beds, a toilet and a blown up picture of the Virgin Mary above their heads. Fortunately, the real thing was quite different. It was a quaint room, similar to an apartment. It opened into a small living room with a couch, a love seat, and a small TV. It lead into a little kitchen with the essentials, even an oven which Claire looked at quizzically. Along a narrow hallway there was the bedroom which was quite large with two queen sized beds on either side, two desks, and two sets of drawers. No toilet. No giant Mary picture. They set his things down and looked around. Now, the room was plain, which made plenty of sense. However, the random John Deer sign above one of the drawers was a little off putting. Then Peter saw that the desk and drawers on one of the room were already filled. Books were randomly set where ever, and clothes were peaking out of the drawers. Oh Boy. Not only was he going to room with a religious freak, but a messy religious freak. If there was anything Peter hated more then messiness, he didn't want to find it. "Where's his roommate?" Claire asked, sitting on the spring mattress. "Oh he's probably just looking around some more or visiting his sister." Chantelle replied. "Bill, Tim, you can go now." she said, addressing the two men that helped them. "There's probably some more poor souls waiting for you." she continued, shooing them off. "Thank you very much." Claire said. "It was no problem ma'am" one of them replied. "Well, I suppose I should get going too. Claire, are you going to join me?" Chantelle asked, already knowing the answer. "Well…maybe I should help him unpack. Do you want help Peter?" she asked, looking for any excuse to stay longer. "Yes please." he answered, buying into it. Suddenly, Claire burst into tears and hugged Peter close. "Oh my dear, sweet, baby boy." she said as she clung to him. "I love you so much, you hear?" she asked, finally letting go. "I love you too mom" Peter replied, holding back his own tears. How embarrassing would that be? "I don't want to hear anything about you getting in trouble, go that? You behave." she said, her voice shaking.

Bill and Tim went to open the door to leave, and as they opened it, there was a young boy behind it, waiting to enter. "Ah hello there." Bill said. "Your roommate's in there with his mom and Chantelle, he seems nice." he continued. "Thanks guys." the boy replied, entering the dorm. "Well, there he is now." Chantelle said, walking into the living room followed by Claire and Peter. "Jason, it's about time you showed up." Chantelle yelled at the boy. "Now this is your roommate, Peter. He's nice, so I don't want to hear nothing about you bothering him, okay?" she demanded. "Hi." Peter said with a shy smile, holding his hand out. As soon as he saw him, his face lit up. No glasses. Plus, he seemed a bit taller then Peter. He had the feeling that boarding school wouldn't be so bad after all. Though he wasn't sure how he formed this impression just by looking at the boy. "Hi." Jason replied, taking the boy's hand. What was wrong? Jason had been prepared for the worst when it came to his roommate. There was nothing wrong with this boy from what he could tell, but then why was he so scared? He felt his heart race a thousand miles an hour as he shook his hand, and could hardly meet his gaze. God, he could barely breathe. Quickly, he let go, and Peter's expression fell. "I'm his mother, Claire." she said she shook the bewildered boy's hand. "Perhaps you'll be so kind as to help you're roommate unpack?" Chantelle asked. Though it was more of a demand then a question. "Sure." Jason quickly responded. They walked back into the bedroom and started opening Peter's bags. What happened? Peter could tell something was wrong. He could see the boy was flustered. What did he do? All he did was say 'Hi' and shook his hand. Did he really give such a horrible first impression?

They started to put his things away, all the while Claire continued with light conversation. "So where are you from?" she asked. "Not far." Jason replied. Peter knew that he was barely listening. He was deep in thought, but about what? Peter had felt an instant rapport with his roommate. Even if they just met, he felt a connection. He decided it was like brotherhood. After all, what else could it be? He felt like his whole day was ruined now that Jason was upset. But why? It's not as if Peter was never disliked before, but why did this one sting so much? His musings were interrupted as he saw Jason take a neatly folded shirt and just shove it into one of the drawers. "Ah!" He quickly ran up to him and grabbed the shirt. "Please, like this." he said timidly as he took the shirt, refolded it, and gingerly placed it back in the drawer. Jason couldn't help but laugh at the display. He knew it took the poor boy every ounce of his courage to correct him. It was cute. In a little brother sort of way. Right? Right. "What's so funny?" Peter asked, genuinely confused. "Peter! Don't be rude! I'm sorry, he does that to everyone." Claire said, clearly embarrassed. "It's okay." Jason replied. 'Great, I get to spend the next seven years with a neat freak' Jason thought. But for some reason, he wasn't annoyed.

Claire sat on the bed going through Peter's books, but stopped as she saw the interaction between her son and this boy. All of a sudden, the reason came back. She felt her throat clench as that anxiety returned the very reason he was here. But why? He just corrected this boy. That's all. She decided it was just her mind trying to find an excuse to bring her baby home, not to leave him so far away. 'It's for his own good.' she thought to herself. 'Everything will be fine' and she relaxed.

"Well, now I really should get going." Chantelle said as they finished unpacking. "I'll help back to the front Mrs. Simmons." she said calmly, not trying to rush the poor woman. Claire heaved a sigh and tightly hugged her son again. "Alright. I love you. I want you to call me if anything happens." she said. She followed Chantelle out into the hallway. "I think they'll get along just fine." Chantelle said, trying to assuage Claire's apparent discomfort. "Yea. This school, it's a good school, right? It'll teach kids the right way to live, won't it?" she asked. "Of course." Chantelle said proudly. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, we'll take good care of him." she continued. Claire smiled. "Thanks."

Now what? "You can have the bed next to the window." Jason said, trying to clear the tension in the air. "Thanks. You know, back in my house my bed was next to my window." Peter said as he lay down on his bed. Damn, he was smiling again! Jason leaned against the wall next to his drawer and looked out the window. Anything to avoid looking at him. Finally, after several long moments of silence Peter couldn't help himself. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up. "Huh?" Jason exclaimed, snapping out of his stupor. "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Peter asked again. He hoped to get an honest answer, but already he could tell he would have to pry it out of him. Why did it matter so much? Why was this killing him? "Do you miss your family?" he asked, looking for any reason. "I don't think I miss my parents any more then they miss me. You're lucky you know, I could tell your mom was crying over leaving you here." Jason answered. This was the most Peter had gotten out of Jason. "I'm sorry." Peter said. Jason was confused. Why did he seem so sad? It's a typical response to someone who said something like 'My family doesn't care about me' but for some reason, he knew Peter genuinely felt sorry for him. He could tell by the look on his face that he could sit there and listen to him all night and be completely enthralled. "Eh it's nothing. Plus, my sister's here, so it's not so bad." Jason said trying to add some positivity to keep the poor boy on the bed from crying. "You have an older sister?" Peter inquired. "No, she's my twin."

"Really? Cool."

"Why is it cool?"

"Well, I don't have any siblings, so a twin just sounds like it would be cool."

"Yea, it's not all it's cracked up to be."

"At least you don't get lonely. Do you guys get along?"

"Yea, she's pretty cool. Kind of shy, though. She's never had a lot of friends."

"Oh. Well, neither have I."

"She'd like you, I think."

Peter gave a small laugh "Why?" he asked. "Cause you're cute like that." Jason replied. He did _not_ just say that. Oh well, maybe he didn't notice. Scratch that, he defiantly noticed. "What?" Peter asked, baffled. Jason felt his face get hotter and hotter. "I meant she'd think you're cute." he said nervously. What the hell is going on? "Well…okay then." Peter said, still confused, and a little disappointed, but by what he couldn't tell. "Just forget it." Jason said, and left the room quickly. What's wrong now? Peter was getting tired of this. What in the world was he doing to upset him so much? All he did was try to be nice. He didn't do anything he didn't normally do, so what's wrong here? He was fully prepared to not like his roommate and for the feeling to be mutual. But for some reason this devastated him. His mind wandered back to that last comment Jason made. 'Cause you're cute like that.' he had said. Why didn't that seem as weird as it should be? Normally he would've freaked out if he heard that, but for some reason he felt kind of…he wasn't sure, really.

Jason walked into the bathroom next to their room and closed the door. He turned on the sink and dunked his hands then wetting his face. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. 'Look at me' he thought. 'I'm a mess.' the pink was still in his cheeks and he found he was breathing rather heavily. What happened in there? What's wrong with him? He couldn't get over the expression on that boy's face. He looked so completely confused by what he said. Jason decided that maybe he just shouldn't say anything anymore. That way he won't have to worry about his reaction. No that's stupid. Peter would just ask 'What's wrong' again with that same sad look. That face! What was it about that boy that made him lose his equilibrium? He was just a short kid with a head of neatly combed brunette hair. That's it. Nothing special. It was just the way he said things and the way he looked when he said them. He was contagious. The moment they first met Peter had such a big smile on his face, Jason could barely resist breaking out one himself. But there's no problem with smiling, right? Then why was he so hesitant to return it? Why did he would change if he did? Why were there so many God damn questions?

Peter gave up and got ready for bed. Yes, the sun was barely down, but it was a long day and he was just drained. He turned off the lights and crawled into his bed. He peaked through the cracks in the Venetian blinds and saw a sliver of the moon. He sighed. What a way to start a new school. When did they start school, anyway? That's right. Worry about school. There are more important things then a disgruntled roommate. Plus, if he really didn't like him, he could just switch rooms, right? The more his mind raced the more the pull of sleep loosened its hold. 'I've got to relax' he thought. Sleeping would just be an excuse not to deal with Jason, right? He sighed again. Why was it so easy, yet so hard to talk to him? He closed his eyes, and the image of Jason leaning against the wall earlier materialized in his mind's eye. His troubled blue eyes looking a thousand miles away, and the reds and magentas of the sunset dancing on his golden hair. All this before the moment was ruined. Peter sighed. What "moment" exactly? What was he thinking? All of a sudden the peace he felt before was starting to evaporate. God, what was wrong with him? Oh yea, God. He looked at the cross above the bedroom door. He knew he would feel better after he prayed. He made the sign of the cross "Now I lay me down to sleep.." he continued his silent prayer before adding a little P.S. "Please, tell me what's going on. I know you know. But I don't, and it bothers me. I know you won't let me down. I just need to figure out this whole thing before I go insane. I don't want it to be like this. I just wish I could understand him. Amen." after he was done, he felt the calm he knew he would feel. He knew everything was going to be fine. He would get to know Jason, and Jason would get to know him. The thought of Jason in the sunset returned, and he fell asleep.

Jason turned all the lights in the dorm off and got changed for bed. Yes it was early, but what else could he do? He lay on his bed and turned on his side. Now _why_ did he do that? He should've known that Peter's sleeping form would be right there. He didn't have to worry though. The only expression on his face now was the expression of sleep. How could he be so peaceful? Why wasn't Peter as bothered as he was? He did Peter know that he didn't? This was driving him crazy. At the same time he had to ask himself, what was he fighting? What was this terrible thing that was waiting for him if he gave in? He looked at the boy across from him and was hypnotized by the rise and fall of his chest. He felt himself sinking further and further into sleep. 'Just do it, let yourself go. Sleep is a _good_ thing.' he thought. 'Should I really?' he asked himself. He said a quick prayer and closed his eyes, the image of the sleeping Peter returned, and he fell asleep.

**So what do you think? I really am anxious to know. The next chapter will be more about introducing the other characters. I won't dwell too much on the time before their relationship, I'll just try to get a few points across that I think are important. See you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**How was the first chapter? This one's a bit longer, but I don't think it's too bad. Like I said, this one's more about introducing other characters. Hope you enjoy it! Please read and review.**

No matter where you are in America, it's hot as hell in August. A ray of sun through the blinds shined on Peter's face. Any attempt at sleep from then on, was futile. He sat up in his bed, and rubbed his eyes. Peter thanked God that he was a morning person. After he cleared the sleep from his eyes, he noticed the sleeping form of his roommate. His heart raced as he remembered what happened the night before. Would it still be awkward? Was Jason always so tense? Peter shook his head to clear his mind. It was too early for this. He got out of bed and went to the kitchen. 'So this is my kitchen now' he thought. As he walked and slowly shook off sleep, he remembered the events of yesterday. He remembered the long drive here, his mother dragging his luggage, the guidance counselor leading them to his room, and then he met Jason. At the first glance, he seemed so cool, and so normal. But it didn't take long for that to change. Maybe Jason _was_ a religious freak, and upon seeing that Peter wasn't, he was upset. But how would he know this just by looking at Peter? He thought about his mom. He thought of her crying and hugging him and staying as long as she could. He missed her. He knew he could talk to her about this. He knew she would understand and help him out like she always did. Sometimes she got a little suffocating, it seemed like she wanted to know everything about her little boy. She always said that he could tell her anything. But if she cared so much, then why bother sending him here? She never told him why. He missed his friends already. He was never terribly popular, he was always made fun of by the more athletic boys who teased him when he would drop a ball or miss a pass. The girls liked him though. He preferred their friendship over boys' who were always so rough and felt the need to prove something. Girls, he could talk to. He was often called "the pimp" by some kids because most of his friends were girls. Even in elementary school, there were girls who asked him to be their boyfriend. Often, he accepted. He loved it when they kissed him and hugged him, but there were some who said that they actually loved him. He lost his girlfriends as easily as he got them. They all felt like he acted like their brother, and he couldn't lie, to him they were like sisters. Stuff like that probably won't happen in middle school, and he'll just have to get used to getting teased by the jocks again. What if Jason was a jock? That wouldn't surprise him, he looked like the type to be active. God it was hot.

He got a glass of water and grabbed some ice from the freezer. He took his shirt off and sat on the stool in the kitchen. He couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable as he did so, what if Jason woke up and saw him without his shirt on? Then he reminded himself 'Guys take their shirts off all the time in front of each other, calm down.' He went over to find the thermostat, with the temperature the way it was, the A/C couldn't have been on. Naturally, it wasn't, but as much as he would've _loved _to turn it on, they decided to make things complicated with knobs and other doohickeys that were rather intimidating. How about a window? Next to the kitchen there was a small window that he opened. Yea didn't help much. What time was it? It had to have been early, as he fell asleep right after the sun set. The stove clock said 9:30. He sighed. Yep, pretty early. What to do now? He sat on the couch and turned on the small TV. To his surprise, it had more then three channels, but there was still nothing on. He left it on the Weather Channel and saw that it was only going to get hotter. As he just sat there, his thoughts started drifting back to Jason. What kind of person was he? There's only so much you can tell about someone just by seeing them. Maybe he really did just miss his family. He might he one of those who doesn't adjust to new people easily. Peter was sort of the same way, but new people never made him _that _uncomfortable. Oh well, he decided he should just give him some time and allow him to get comfortable around him. After all, they were going to be together for seven years, they would have to get used to each other.

Jason turned over in his bed; must it really be so bright? After a few minutes, the heat was unbearable. He sat up in his bed and sat there for who knows how long. He never really was a morning person. Half asleep, he got out of bed and went into the living room. Bit by bit, he started remembering the happenings of yesterday. He remembered getting up early and his parents driving him and his sister here, he remembered seeing Ms. Chantelle and moving his stuff in his room, he remembered helping his sister unpack, and oh shit, he remembered Peter. He stopped dead in his tracks right as he walked into the living room. "G'morning" Peter said, as he saw his roommate. Jason panicked. "Yea" he replied as he headed toward the kitchen, making sure to always look straight ahead. It was way to early to deal with him. "I know it's hot, but I have no idea how to turn on the A/C." Peter said with a small laugh. "Better grab some ice water and toss off your shirt. It doesn't help much, but it's better then getting heat stroke." Peter continued. After a minute, with still no reply, Peter gave up. 'That's alright.' he thought. 'He just got up.' and he settled back in his seat. He wanted to show Jason that there was nothing to be afraid of. At the same time, there was something even he wasn't quite sure of. There was something about Jason, but what he wasn't sure. He wanted Jason to like him, but it wasn't for the sake of survival. He set a goal: Jason _will _like him. 'At some point in time, He will come to like me.' Peter thought.

Jason stood in the kitchen, his eyes still adjusting to the ever-present sunlight. He got some water and an apple and started to head back to the room. He heard the boy, but did his best not to listen. "Going back to sleep? It's 11:30." Peter said as Jason walked by. He turned his head to look at him, then, feeling heat rise in his cheeks, quickly went back to the room. Peter sighed. After a few moments he came back out holding one of Peter's shirts "Put it on." he said, not looking directly at him. "Why? Aren't you hot? I'm just saying that you should take off yours too. You'll feel much better." Peter replied, it made sense didn't it? When it's hot, you take your shirt off. No big deal. "Just do it. What if someone walks in here, huh? What do you want them to think?" Jason said. He couldn't believe this boy. Waltzing around without a shirt on, then he wanted _him _to do it too! What did he think he was, some sort of fag? Confused, and feeling slightly defeated, Peter took the shirt and put it on.

Luckily, a knock on the door interrupted Peter's melancholy. He opened the door to find a girl, about his age standing with a surprised look on her face. The slightly chubby girl shyly smiled at Peter and asked if Jason was in. "Oh sure, hang on. Jason, There's a girl here for you!" Peter yelled. A girlfriend? Jeez, here for a day and already he was popular with the ladies. He envied her. Only because she managed to get on Jason's good side. Right? Right. Jason walked into the living room and smiled. "Hey, what's up?" He asked. The girl smiled, "I can't visit? I never saw your dorm." she said, welcoming herself in. "Um, hi." Peter said, as she walked by. "Oh hey, I'm Nadia." she said, her tone slightly weakening as she talked to him. "I'm Peter." he said, smiling as he shook her hand. "So what's it like living with my brother? Is he a pain?" Brother? So this was the twin sister he heard about. There were some subtle similarities, but really there wasn't much of a resemblance. Peter felt suddenly relieved. He laughed at the irony of her question, and they followed Nadia into the kitchen. "Good God, it's hot in here! How can you stand it? What, is your A/C broken?" She asked, futilely fanning herself with her hand. "I don't think it's broken, but if you know how to work it, then be my guest." Peter said, pointing to the thermostat. "Ours isn't like that. Sucks to be you." Nadia replied. "Speaking of which, how's your roommate?" Jason asked, speaking up for the first time. "Oh yes, Princess Ivy. Nah she's not too bad. A little spoilt, but aren't we all? At least she's nice; I think we'll get along fine. It was annoying when she had one of her guy friends over though. On the first day! She just moves in here, and her spell is already cast. Eh he wasn't a bad guy though. Some dude named Matt and apparently they've known each other since they were little kids, or some other crap. You look at them and you know they're going to hook up once his balls drop." she said, sipping some water. She was certainly different from her brother. "Clever observation, Nadia." Jason chimed in. "Thanks." she replied with a smile. "You know, when I told her I had a brother here, she said that she _had _to meet you." she said with a 'sucks to be you' face. "So be prepared. I think your fan club here is already forming." she laughed. "You certainly are a bit more talkative then your brother, aren't you?" Peter asked. "Hmm it's usually the other way around, but Jason doesn't really have a lot to say today for some reason. What about you, huh? Where do you hail from?" She asked, turning to Peter. "Oh, well I'm really not too far, only about an hour away." he answered nervously. "Lucky! We had to get up so early in order to get here, I didn't even sleep! I don't know why we couldn't have flown here, it's not like mom and dad necessarily need to pinch any pennies." she said with a 'sucks to be me' face. "You guys must be pretty well off, then." Peter said. "Well, dad's a judge and mom floats around. She's a party planner, so to speak, but it's more to high profile events then anything."

"So do you get to go to those parties?"

"Hah! Now _that _would be interesting."

"You mustn't get to see your parents that often then, right?"

"Uh well, no. It's not as bad as it seems though. It's easy to get through things like that with a twin, I highly recommend getting one." she said with a smile. Was this supposed to be the shy unpopular one? Peter was taken aback at how comfortable she was; maybe it was the presence of her brother that helped. "You're rather chatty today, Nadia." her brother chimed in. "Well, Peter's a good listener. It's like he cares about what I say, unlike _some _people." she replied. "Honestly," she started, turning back to Peter "With this guy it's basically in one ear, out the other." Peter lightly laughed which made Nadia smile. "Anyway, where's this roommate of yours, now?" Jason asked. He had a look on his face like he just thought of something. "She'll probably drop by, saying that she was looking for me, but really came to hit on you." Nadia said, walking into the living room and falling on the couch. "She hasn't even seen me." Jason said, following you. "She's seen pictures, probably the worst mistake I've ever made, giving her those things." she replied.

Speak of the devil; there was a knock on the door. "Aha! I better get that." Nadia said, jumping up. She opened the door and with fake cheerfulness exclaimed "Hi! Funny we should me here of all places!" she walked back in and closed the door; she was followed by a petite girl with a large smile on her face, as if she was expecting a present. Peter could see her eyes quickly scan the room before they found what they were looking for. "Oh, so you must be the twin brother!" she coyly exclaimed walking up to Jason. Nadia sat down on the couch and invited Peter to join her. "You gotta see this" she whispered to him. "Once she works her magic, there's no escape. Five bucks says she gets him to go on a date with her." she continued discreetly. Peter quietly laughed, praying with all his might that she was wrong. Jason deserved better then that. "I've heard quite a bit about you, you're sister seems so nice, I figured she had to get it from somewhere." Ivy said, shamelessly flirting. "I've also seen so many pictures. I have to say though, they really don't do you justice." she continued with a smile. "Thanks." Jason simply said. He was starting to have second thoughts about that battle plan he had a few minutes ago. While Nadia was ranting about her roommate, Jason thought she sounded perfect to help him get his mind off…things. What was he worried about, anyway? Well, there was starting a new school that was quite far from home, but that's more of Nadia's problem then his. He was just stressed right now, and this Ivy seemed like the perfect distraction. Now however, that she was in front of him, he started to chicken out. He walked into the kitchen, quickly followed by a slightly confused Ivy. Peter became a little anxious as he lost sight of the two.

She was a pretty girl, Peter could see that. She was not too short, or too tall, and had a small figure showing the first hints of feminine maturity. She had a beautifully generic face, with a perfectly neutral bone structure and brown eyes that fit her face just right. As she walked by, her long, light brown hair fluttered behind her. Every proportion was in place, as if she was immune to the pitfalls of adolescence. She was the portrait of the perfect, all-American girl, and Peter could understand Nadia's animosity. Nadia certainly wasn't ugly; rather, she was pretty normal. Next to perfect however, normal just looks mediocre. She was a little shorter then her brother and her build was nowhere near as athletic. Her hair was at a little below her shoulders, and was thin and dull brown. She had her brother's eyes, however, which were a crystalline blue and seemed to be the only resemblance they shared. Peter felt a sort of kinship with her, especially with how she was talking about how popular Jason was in their old school. It would probably be the same here, and he would have to deal with the flocks of girls that would come over, just as Nadia would have to deal with all the guys that chased Ivy. "We should follow them." Nadia whispered, after she couldn't hear what was going on in the kitchen. They got up and pressed their ears against the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. "Aw come on! Plus, you could visit your sister." they heard Ivy say. "That's okay. I mean it." Jason replied exasperatedly. They could hear the opening and closing of cabinet doors as Jason looked for something. He was getting annoyed. Why was this girl being so damned persistent? "Well, we'll probably have classes together, and we could help each other." Ivy replied, Peter suppressed a laugh as he heard the panic in her voice. So she was trying to get him over to her room. From the way it sounded, she asked directly, which means she was running out of ideas.

Nadia was confused. Not because Ivy was failing miserably, she actually loved that, but because Jason was resisting. If this were anyone else, Nadia would've been rejoicing at witnessing Ivy's defeat, but this was Jason. Jason _never _resisted a girl. She should be happy and proud that her brother was resisting a call girl in the making, but something just seemed off. Normally when a pretty girl enters his line of vision, he turns up the charm and they swoon. She expected him to get along with Ivy just fine, what with her practically throwing herself at him. He sounded annoyed, bothered, and a little scared. Maybe now wasn't a good time. They _were _starting middle school in a week and living on their own. He probably just wasn't in the mood. Nadia felt a little guilty for not expecting that, she shared those feelings and dreaded the first day of school. There seems to be a rule, that if one sibling is immensely popular, the other has to be equally unpopular. Jason knew how to grab the attention of a whole room without saying a word, while she tried her best to stay out of that room full of people. She got used to it though, and decided that middle school would be different. She kept telling herself that it was her attitude, not her appearance that made people ignore her. She was going to start middle school with a whole new perspective, and things would be different. She tried to lose weight, she really did, but sometimes, it's just too hard. She was always a little on the heavy side, and finally gave up in the fifth grade. Her mom was no help, telling Nadia about how if she wasn't loosing weight, then she must be doing something wrong. She always made it seem like all her problems would just disappear if her extra weight did. She probably would've stopped eating all together if it wasn't for Jason. He was the first to let her know that there was more to life then being skinny. That there was more to a person then how they looked. She knew what was going to happen though, she knew that they would grow up and grow apart. It always happens. She knew she couldn't lean on him forever, that he would have his own friends and his own life, and she needed to get one of her own. She feared the day when that final bond was cut. But they were twins! They weren't your typical brother and sister. Wasn't there supposed to be some unbreakable bond between them? Shouldn't they be able to read each other's minds? Sometimes she felt like she could, especially when they were younger. The older they got however, the harder it became to understand him. He was always her crutch through elementary school, eating lunch with her and playing with her when no one else would. Consequentially, wherever he was, there was everyone else. She liked to pretend that they were there because they were genuinely interested in her. But the next day when she went up to them the first thing they'd ask was "Where's your brother?". She decided middle school was going to be her time. With God's help she could make it. She took the first step with Peter. It was like talking to someone she always knew and felt like she already made a friend. He was an adorable boy who looked like he might be shy too. That's probably why he was so receptive when she talked to him. Quiet people always made the best listeners. Would Jason like Peter? Jason never really had the patience for quiet people and got annoyed by them easily. It was the source of most of the fights between him and Nadia, he yelled at her for being so shy sometimes. Peter was too nice for that, and she hoped Jason would understand him. She would love for them all to be friends, and she could imagine being Peter's girlfriend in high school. Hey, she could dream, right? She tried to keep Ivy out of the picture, and try as she might, she couldn't shake the feeling that Jason would fall for her. She could see her being pregnant at their graduation, and suppressed a laugh at the cruel thought.

"So are you going to do any sports?" Ivy asked, trying anything to get this guy's attention. What was she doing wrong? He's hot, she's hot, it works! She had a bit of an empire in elementary school, with the boys following her like cattle. She assumed it would be easier in middle school, and for the most part it was, but this one was different. The more he resisted the more she fought. It was a losing battle now, but she wasn't going to give up. All of her little boyfriends were like her trophies, she had to win them, and this one was no different. She can't remember a time when she wasn't getting some boy's attention. She remembered the wonderful feeling she got in the first grade when she got her first boy toy: Matt. He was quiet and she thought it was just too cute how sweet he was. He easily clung her and she took care of him like a lost puppy. Her mother was proud that she made such a great friend, and they stuck together through elementary school and they were so excited when they found out they were going to the same middle and high school. Ivy was surprised at how relieved she felt, it's not like she needed him. She had plenty of friends who moved away, she didn't think it would matter if they were separated. Matt seemed happy too and she initially entertained the idea that they would room together, but her mom told her there was no chance of that. She missed her mom. She told her whenever anything happened, if a boy rejected her, or if she got in fight with one of her friends. Her dad wasn't really around much though. Her parents were divorced and she can't really remember them being together. Her mother married three times since, and was currently single. She couldn't count the boyfriends who came over and she never saw her mom happier when she was with one of her guys. She always said that life was there to enjoy. Ivy had asked who her dad was, and her mom always gave a very vague response. Whenever a knew guy came over, she couldn't but wonder if it was one of them. She also asked why her dad wasn't around. Her mom would frown and simply "You'll understand once you're all grown up."

"You know, I still have some unpacking to do." Jason said, stepping past the girl in front of him and walked into his room. Why won't she leave? Ivy was a little flustered, but she understood. She'll give up, for now. She walked into the living room and saw her silent roommate and some guy who was probably Jason's. Embarrassed by her public defeat, she smiled at them and said, "Guess I better head back too. I'll see you guys around." and she walked out the door. As soon as she left, Nadia let out a laugh. "That was fun. Just so you know though, she's going to be back. Sorry." she said as she sympathetically smiled at Peter. He sighed, it was only going to get worse. Nadia stretched her arms in the air and brought them down with a loud sigh. "Suppose I better get going too. It sucks that school's starting soon, but oh well. I guess I should go make sure our poor Juliet doesn't kill herself after being shot down by Romeo." she said with another smile and left. "See you around." Peter said, as he saw her leave. She was a nice girl who seemed so different from her brother, it was hard to believe they were related, let alone twins. Now alone, Peter wasn't sure what to do. He knew in his gut that it was a bad idea to see Jason, hopefully he'll lighten up once school started, but until then it was best to stay out of his way. Peter sat down on the couch and turned the TV back on. God, it was hot.

What happened? Jason lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Why did he feel like he was committing some horrible crime for even thinking of going out with Ivy? He never had a problem with anything like this before. Then again, things like this are much different in elementary school. He knew well enough that once you start to hit these ages, things start to change. Still, it didn't make sense. He wasn't going to sleep with her or anything. Maybe he felt bad about _why_ he was going to go with her. But why _was_ he? He was afraid to back out there for fear of seeing Peter's face. He really didn't feel like dealing with anything like that right now. For some reason, he felt ashamed. He felt like Peter had every right to be mad at him, but mad about what? He didn't do anything! He wanted to run out and yell "She came on to me, I had nothing to do with it!" and beg for forgiveness. He quickly turned over on his stomach to stop from thinking about that. But the more he resisted, the more it persisted. He had a scenario played out in his head.

_He would walk into the living room and find Peter sulking on the couch_

"_She's pretty, isn't she?" he would say, with a sad smile. "No, it's nothing like that!"_

_Jason would say, panicked. "It's nothing really, _she _just likes _me_!" he would want to yell at him, _

_say anything to make him happy. "Really?" Peter would ask, with a tinge of hope in his eyes._

"_Yes!" Jason would say, and then they both would smile._

What the hell is going on? Jason buried his face in his pillow and screamed. At that moment, he sort of wished that he could use that pillow to suffocate himself, anything to end this madness. More then anything, he wished he could go up to Peter and put the pillow over _his _face and kill him. He was the root of all of this. Wasn't he?

Ivy walked through the hallways, finding it harder and harder to hold back her tears. She lost a few before, but why does this one hurt so much? Since the girl's dorm was quite a walk away from the boy's she decided to make a little detour. She knocked on a room that was surprisingly close to Jason's. A boy, a little shorter then Ivy, answered the door. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern dawning his dark eyes. "It's nothing, some people are just rude." Ivy said, wiping the moisture from her eyes. She let herself in and sat down on the couch. "Nice place you have here." she said with a laugh, cursing the fact that every dorm room looked the same. The dark haired boy sat down beside her and laughed "It's nothing compared to yours, though. So what happened?" he asked. He was baffled by the fact that anyone could be mean to such a sweet girl. "Well, I went over to the dorm of my roommate's brother. I just wanted to introduce myself, you know, be nice." she said. She didn't like lying to this boy, but she didn't like telling him the truth either. However, he knew perfectly well what she meant by "be nice" and he hated the way she flirted. He sighed. It was only going to get worse. Secretly, he was happy that she was finally turned down, but he knew better then to say that. "But he wasn't having it. I suppose he may have been stressed, I just don't think I did anything wrong!" she finished. "Don't worry. School's starting soon, he's probably just homesick." the boy said. He hated seeing her this way. He would say anything if it made her feel better. "Thanks Matt. God, I really hope we have classes together. I don't know what I'll do if we don't." Ivy said, feeling better after a little venting. Matt laughed "Same. Do you want me to walk you back to your place?" he asked as she stood up. "Nah, I'll be okay. See you around." she said as she walked out the door. Matt sighed. They had always been friends, and it was his greatest fear that they would stay that way. In books and movies it always seems like the best friends are supposed to get together, but so far there was no hope of that. The door opening and closing jarred him out of his thoughts "Hey bro." the boy said as he quickly walked into his room. "Hey Lucas." Matt replied. He had hoped for a roommate he could relate to, but that boy was never around. Even when he was, it was for a few minutes and he left as quickly as he came. Matt went into the kitchen and his thoughts returned to Ivy. She was rarely upset about a guy turning her down. It didn't happen often, but it happened. This must have been important to her, and if that guy knew how upset he made her, maybe he'd change his mind. Matt shook his head. Why couldn't she see what was right in front of her? But he knew she was just in it for the chase. Hopefully, everything will get easier once school starts.

On her way back to her room, Nadia heard a familiar voice. "Hey" she heard as Ivy ran up to her. "What's the deal with your brother?" she asked keeping up with Nadia's quickening stride. "How should I know?" Nadia replied, not even looking at the other girl. "Well, tell him I meant no harm." Ivy said as they got to the room. "I just want to be friends." she continued. "Sure you do." Nadia said with a sarcastic smile as she took off her shoes and headed to the bedroom, why the hell was there only one? She remembered her guide saying something about how in middle school, you get a dorm with only one room, but once you get to high school you get one with two. Why was that so far away? Ivy stood bewildered in the living room. 'That whole family's messed up.' she thought. 'Can't imagine their parents' she thought with a laugh. She sat on the couch and turned on the TV. It was quite warm out.

**What'd you think? Like I said, I'd love to know. They start school in the next one, so it should get even more interesting. I tried my best to make Ivy not look like a slutty bitch, afterall, she's only 11. I guess I could use the fact that they're young to justify the slight OOCness. You change quite a bit between 6th and 12th grade, after all. So please, leave some reviews.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I know it's been awhile, but I've been really busy lately. I'm probably just going to cut the story short and end it right before the musical starts because really, I don't have the time, and it's not like anyone's reading this thing. This one's quite long and I'm afriad my chapters will just get longer and longer, so I'll have to learn some discretion I guess. I hope you enjoy it though. Oh yea, and I know someone left a review about my format, and it's not there anymore because I deleted the story and reposted it to change a few things. So please don't think I just deleted your review.  
**

It was 4:30 a.m. and Peter was still awake. The fact that he had to get up in two hours didn't exactly calm him down. He never really gave much thought into starting school until that night when he started packing his lunch. He comforted himself by saying that everyone else was new too, and also didn't know anyone. He sighed. Jason was lucky; at least he had his sister. Peter turned on his side to face his fast asleep roommate. How can he be so calm? Peter turned over as he went over his back-to-school checklist in his head for the hundredth time. Pencils? Check. Paper? Check. Backpack? Check. Oh, what's the use? He knew he had all the crap he needed, so why can't he just shut his eyes and sleep? 4:31. It was a long night. When he first lay in bed his heart was racing, Jason went into his own bed and turned the lights off. "Jason?"  
"Yea?"  
"You nervous about tomorrow?"  
"Not really"  
"Oh…well we have our first class together, right?"  
"Yea"  
"We should go together"  
"Whatever"  
And that was it. Peter had hoped for someone to talk to, someone as nervous as him. What in the world made him expect that of Jason? Oh well. Things had slowly gotten better over the past few days. Jason didn't tense up whenever he was in the same room anymore, and he didn't seem so angry all the time. Then again, his sister and her roommate were over a lot, so maybe that helped. Ivy didn't make any more advances on Jason, though it seemed like it sometimes. Nadia assured him that she was like that with every guy, and it didn't really suggest anything. Ivy was actually a sweet girl when she wasn't trying to hook up with anyone. Peter laughed at the whole thing. They were only 11 for goodness sake! He learned that they all had their first class together, but the rest of their schedule was a mystery until they got there. Peter felt better about Jason's attitude, even though he still seemed slightly uneasy when no one else was around. Peter decided that he probably was nervous; he just didn't like to show it. He felt the same way a lot of the time, but as much as he didn't like to show it, he found himself expressing quite a bit without realizing it. He really needed to work on that. He shut his eyes in a last attempt to get some sleep. As soon as he did, new worries and anxieties popped into his brain. He hated being so nervous. He was naturally a bit jumpy, and it had gotten worse ever sense his dad left. He was only eight, yet he remembered so much. There was a point when he couldn't even look at Peter. He was never sure why. His parents argued a lot as he got older, and even now it was hard for them to be in the same room together. When he was young and clueless, he often asked why he almost never saw him anymore. His mother never gave a straight answer, and always made a face as if she was looking for the right words, yet she could never find them. After that they had started going to church more often and Claire was always talking privately to the priest. Even though Peter never heard their conversations, he knew they were about him. It was also then that she really started getting interested in Saint Cecilia's. It seemed like his life was off somehow, like normal kids never had to worry about this stuff. But wasn't he normal? What was so different about him, that all this had to happen? Receding in his memories, Peter managed to close his eyes one last time, and drift off to sleep.

The alarm buzzed and beeped in such a way, Peter feared it woke the kids in the next room. He leaped out of bed, oddly alert for how little sleep he got. Jason was slowly turning over and burying his face in his pillow, until he let out a large yawn and slowly sat up. Peter was already in the kitchen making toast and eggs and moving around propelled by his adrenaline. He set two plates on the table just as Jason walked out, looking like he was still dreaming. "Hurry and eat" Peter said, trying to give an encouraging smile. Jason silently sat down and slowly ate. He reminded Peter of a zombie. Peter ate quickly and bounded back into the room and changed into his uniform. It wasn't his first uniform, but it was his nicest. He felt like he was entering a whole new plane once he put that uniform on. He was a middle-schooler now. As he was checking his backpack, Jason walked in, looking a bit more alive then before. "Out" was all he said. Peter let out a nervous laugh as he grabbed his comb and headed into the bathroom.

Jason let out a loud yawn and tried to get his focus back. Ok, so he's up and 6:30 a.m. why, exactly? Then it came to him. School. He dug through his drawers and found his uniform, which was now wrinkled, thanks to Jason's less then desirable organization. He changed tentatively; for fear that his roommate would walk in, then slipped his shoes on, and grabbed his bag. He set his stuff down on the couch and combed his hair. Peter walked out of the bathroom looking rather peppy despite the ungodly hour. Jason rushed in a brushed his teeth, and then was ready to set off. "Let's go." he said quickly, walking out. "Wait!" Peter said, rushing into the kitchen. "Don't want to forget your lunch." he said rushing back out with two paper bags. "Here." he said as he held one out to Jason, an excited smile lit up his face. "Um…thanks." Jason said, as he took it, not sure what to think. "We're getting Nadia and Ivy, right?" Peter asked as they walked out into the hallways. "The girl's dorm is too far away, I said we'd meet them by our class." Jason said. Peter was a little comforted by idea of their solitary walk. They walked on in an awkward silence with Jason more then a few steps ahead. "Slow down! We're early." Peter said, struggling to keep up. Jason pretended not to hear him and continued on his way. He was almost running. 'What are you running from?' a small voice inside him asked. He slowed down as he started losing his breath. Peter caught up, a little exhausted himself. "What's wrong?" he asked in between breaths. "Nothing. I just don't want to be late. A little nervous, I guess." Jason said as he walked at a slower pace, with Peter at his side. For some reason, Jason didn't want to be seen coming to class with him. He had nothing against the kid, but something in him said 'People will talk' if they came together. He reminded himself that it was silly, what would people have to talk about? It's not _that_ unusual for two guys to go to class together, especially roommates.

They finally got to their classroom door and saw that it was still locked. Peter looked at his watch, "We have about ten minutes." he said. There were other people walking around, but no one else by their door. "Guess we can get here a little later next time, huh?" Peter asked, trying to start up a conversation. "Yea." Jason simply responded. He knows what Peter wanted, and he wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Peter sighed and leaned against a locker. He saw kids come and go and get things from their lockers and meet up with friends. Hopefully that would be him someday, just being able to casually roam the hallways with his friends. With any luck, Jason would be one of them. He wasn't sure why he was being so stubborn right now and started to wonder if this was normal behavior for him. They stood in silence as more kids started arriving, including Nadia, Ivy, and another boy who was talking to her. "When did you get here?" Ivy asked as she scooted closer to Jason. "A little while ago." Jason replied and smiled. It was much easier to talk to this girl now, and he wasn't sure why. He felt like he didn't have to worry as much around her as he did with Peter. Something about that boy just sets off an alarm. The first bell rang, but there was no sign of the teacher. "Oh yea, this is Matt." Ivy said, as she presented her friend. "This is…Peter, right? And Jason, Nadia's brother." she continued. "Hey" he said with a small awkward wave. After a few more minutes of waiting, a small woman came rushing through the small crowd of students and quickly used her keys to open the door. They all entered the small class, and Peter noted that there couldn't have been more then 20 students. "Take a seat please!" the small woman shouted as she dropped her bag on her desk at the front of the room, and shifted through it. She pulled some papers and her glasses out and breathed deep to calm herself down as the class settled in seats. "How's everyone doing?" she asked with a nervous smile. The class gave a collective "good" with the occasional "I want to go back to bed". "Are you ready for the big leagues now? This ain't elementary school anymore, so I hope you're prepared." she said as she stood at the pulpit in the front of the room, shifting through papers. "Because I know I'm not! I'm Sarah Margol, I suppose you'll have to call me Ms Margol, won't you? It's Ms, not Mrs. just yet, and I don't want any of you to rub it in. I just graduated from a little place called Berkeley, it's over there in California, you all should check it out." she said with a smile. "I actually graduated from this place about…four or five years ago. Jeez, not much has changed. Father Flynn's still here though, he's pretty cool. Anyway, this is an English class, so expected to read quite a bit." she chattered on. "You know, I always hated it when we had to do work on the first day of school. I liked it when we had to get to know each other and talk about ourselves." she said has she clasped her hands in front of her. "So how about it? We'll go around the room, and you say your name, where you're from and some things you like and dislike." she said. She pointed her finger up and down the rows as it went along and children introduced themselves. Peter was surprised at how far some kids had come. There was a small girl from Florida who seemed so terrified she could hardly speak. After they had gone all around, Ms. Margol thought for a minute. "Oh, how about a game!" she asked as she clasped her hands again. "I think we should play a favorite of mine, it's called 'Musical chairs,'" she said with a smile. Peter laughed at the idea of playing such a puerile game. Weren't they in the big leagues now? The class sat up as they moved their desk and arranged their chairs in a circle. "You over there(I forgot your name already!), you look confused." she said as she pointed at Jason. "Oh well, it's just I've never played this game before." he said, a few snickers were heard amongst the class. "Oh, well it's not that hard. You just walk around in a circle with everyone else while music plays until someone turns it off." she explained. "Well, what happens when the music stops?"  
"Then you have to find your place."  
"What if you can't?"  
"Then you lose, I guess."

They found out that they all had almost every class together. However, only Peter, and Jason were in the same gym class, and consequentially, they were in a different lunch then everyone else. It had been quite a first day. First they had English with the ever-casual Ms. Margol, and then they had social studies with Mrs. Adams, the Austrian, after that was gym with coach Tamber. Gym was more fun then Peter would've thought, as he finally got to see Jason in his element. It was the first day, so they weren't kept too busy. They all decided to play soccer, and Peter was lucky enough to be on Jason's team. Lucky, as in he didn't get totally annihilated as the other team did. Jason was an amazing player, and Peter hypothesized that soccer wasn't the only sport Jason was good at. More importantly, Jason actually enjoyed it, and never took anything about it too seriously. If someone(namely Peter) would mess up, he never got angry, he just said "It's alright" and it was. Peter figured he would like gym. Since it was right before lunch, they could take their time in the locker room, and Peter often liked to sit around and watch everyone go by. Some of the boys showered, which Peter found rather amusing and almost taboo. He commended the bravery of those boys. He saw that Jason hung around too; the only difference was that Jason actually talked to people. They all seemed to respect him, and that was no surprise. Peter could suddenly see why he was so popular in elementary school. He showed pure confidence and it was hard to feel ill at ease around him. He seemed so comfortable in crowds, which confused Peter. He could be in large crowds, yet he was awkward around him? It was strange. Five minutes after the lunch bell rang, Peter decided to leave. He decided to be bold and ask to sit with Jason, as he had no one else. Jason was standing alone now, deep in thought when Peter interrupted him. "Wanna eat?" he asked, trying to be as casual as possible. "With you?" Jason asked, surprised by this random question. "Sure. You don't really know anyone else do you?" Peter asked. He was determined to not look stupid. "Ok." Jason said apprehensively. Peter had a point. They walked down stairs and headed for the cafeteria. "Look, I promise my lunch won't poison you, okay?" Peter said with another one of his smiles. Jason had to laugh, "Okay, then you wouldn't mind switching." Jason said as he pulled out his bagged lunch. "What? It's the same thing!" Peter exclaimed, laughing. "Exactly, then switch." Jason said mockingly. "Oy, okay then." Peter said over dramatically as he took out his lunch and handed it to Jason. "Great, more for me. Thanks" Jason said as he grabbed the other lunch and ran through the hallways. "Hey! That's not fair!" Peter shouted as he chased him. He was vaguely aware of the other kids in the hall who were probably eyeing him strangely, but he didn't care. " 'Hey' is for horses!" Jason yelled back as he ran through the halls. As he took a sharp corner, Peter tripped over one of the small benches laid out through the hallways and landed flat on his face. Neither of them could stop laughing as Jason walked back over to inspect the damage. "Smooth" he said sarcastically as he held his hand out. A mischievous smile dawned Peter's face as he grabbed his hand and pulled Jason down on the floor. "Ah! You know, they say two wrongs don't make a right." Jason said as he rubbed his knees, which collided with the tile floor. "No, but I think if you go left a few times you make a right." Peter said, with a smug look on his face as if he had said the cleverest thing in the world. "That doesn't make any sense." Jason said dubiously. "So? Just because it doesn't make sense, doesn't mean that it's wrong." Peter said as his smile softened. Jason liked that concept. It was like a voice inside him gave him the "Ok" to move forward. He felt a massive weight lifted from him and he smiled, "True". Peter snatched his lunch back and snapped Jason out of his musings. "Ah, I'll get it next time." Jason said, as he got up and sat on the bench. "Oh ho how do you know there will be a next time?" Peter asked as he sat next to him. "I'm the one who made this. I don't have to make it for you, you know." he continued as he took out it sandwich. "Are we allowed to eat here?" he asked, as Jason did the same. "Who cares? The cafeteria's probably full anyway."  
"Ok. That makes sense."  
"But it doesn't have to, right?" Jason said with a sarcastic smile. "Oy, you're not going to start making fun of me for that now, are you?" Peter asked as he ate his sandwich. It was actually quite terrible. "Sweet Jesus, this is good!" Jason exclaimed as he ate his sandwich. Peter laughed, "Really? I'm pretty bad at this stuff; I can't even make a sandwich properly. So far you're the only one who's complimented anything I've made." Peter continued. "Isn't kind of depressing that we're the only ones in this lunch and Nadia, Ivy and Matt are all having a grand old time in the one before this?" Jason asked. "Not really. This isn't so bad. Plus, we'll have lunch with them next semester." Peter replied. "Oh yea." Jason said, a little disappointed. It's not like they were annoying or anything, but this was nicer then he expected it to be. "So what do you think of them?" Jason asked. Partly because he wanted to know what he thought of his sister, but mostly to know what he thought about Ivy. "Well, Nadia's nice. I wish she was my twin." Peter said. "Aha! I knew you two would get along." Jason said as he sipped his drink. He thought about that first night when they had talked about Nadia and Jason mentioned that Peter was cute. He was afraid that Peter remembered the exact moment too, but he didn't seem to. Looking back on it, what was so weird about that? What was so weird about this short boy that he ever felt so uneasy? There was nothing wrong with him, and Jason had to laugh at himself for being so unreasonable. "And Ivy? Matt?" Jason pressed. "Ivy's a nice girl. Very pretty. Matt's a nice guy too, a little shy though." Peter replied. "That's it?" Jason asked. "Well, it's not like I know them _that _well." Peter replied. "I barely even know _you. _Just today I found out your last name was McConnell." he explained. This was true. The fact of the matter was, they really had known each other for about a week and that was it. It was easy for Jason to forget that sometimes. "By the way, you were acting really weird all week. Was something up?" Peter asked. Suddenly it struck him how rude that sounded. You don't say something like that to someone you barely know. At the same time, Peter didn't really feel like he did anything wrong. It was a valid question, and Peter really wanted to know. "Nothing." Jason said, trying to keep a casual air, "Just nervous, I guess". Peter was glad that the question didn't seem to bother Jason. "About what? School?" he asked, as he finished his lunch. "Yea, you know, the usual. What, you weren't nervous?" Jason asked. "Well of course, but it didn't effect me _that_ badly." Peter responded.  
"Was I really that bad?"  
"You wouldn't even look at me! I thought I offended you or something."  
"Sorry."  
"Did I do anything wrong?"  
"…."  
"Jason?"  
"No. No you didn't. It was just me being stupid, that's all." Jason said as he stood up to throw his trash away. "All right then." Peter said as he followed. The bell rang which meant they had to head to their last period, math, which they also had together. "Are you good at math?" Peter asked as they headed to class. "Sure, I'm alright, I guess."  
"Thank God! I hate it, you'll have to help me, I assure you."  
"Alright. I can't say how good of a teacher I'll be though."  
"I don't care! I just need _someone_ to help me. I never understand what the teachers say."  
"Fine, I'll help. I'm pretty sure you can understand me."

The rest of the week went by smoothly with the occasional nap in first period. Middle school really wasn't as big of a deal as Peter originally thought. The work was getting difficult though. Thank God for Jason. The kid was as a lot smarter then Peter would've imagined, and when Peter told Nadia that he was helping him she gasped and shouted "I had him first!" so now he helps them both together every so often. After awhile, Matt and Ivy joined them too, Matt was no idiot either, but he spent most of his time helping Ivy. Every time there was something Peter didn't understand, it didn't matter what subject it was for, he could ask Jason and he would know. Jason was a better teacher then he thought and Peter was a diligent student. "You know, have you ever considered being a teacher?" Peter asked after having helped him figure out what x equaled. "Not really." Jason responded with a laugh. "You should! If you can help an idiot like me then you can do anything!" Peter yelled. It almost seemed like he really could do anything. Peter saw what an amazing athlete he was, and he never expected him to be such a good student. Peter always thought he had the qualities of the perfect nerd. He was neurotic, obsessive, and horrible at sports, but for some reason, academics never really came easy for him either. He wasn't stupid; he just wasn't that smart, either. Plus, he had the curse of procrastination upon him. Meanwhile, Jason did everything as soon as he got home and never wasted time. "What's your secret?" Peter would ask him. "I don't know. I just come home and I do my homework. It's always been that way." Jason replied, he seemed so confused that Peter didn't get it. Really though, they did waste quite a bit of time when they did homework together. There was always something for them to talk about and something to say. Somehow they got things done and they would continue conversations deep into the night. Peter looked forward to doing his homework everyday and Jason felt the same. Whatever strangeness he had felt before was long gone and he still couldn't place what it was. He thought back to when he first met Peter and shook his hand. He remembered that feeling of dread that took over, but now when he thought about it, it wasn't a bad feeling at all. It was hard to explain.

Ivy was faring about as well as she expected to. She managed to move around all the social circles that developed and even befriended some older girls. Guys weren't too into her yet, but it was no skin off her back. The workload was getting heavy and she really had to time for flirting anyway. She was a good girl, who always did her work well, and on time. She was friendly with her teachers, but somehow managed to avoid the stigma of teacher's pet. She partly owed her academic success to Matt, who helped her whenever he could. He welcomed any opportunity to help her, but he wasn't too thrilled when they worked with everyone else. They were nice kids though, and they had fun. He made a good friend in Nadia, when they bonded over complaining about Ivy's flirtatious nature. However, they would get into a rut where all they could talk about was Ivy, which annoyed Nadia immensely. She worked with Peter and Jason whenever she could, just to talk to Peter. Plus, she was used to Jason's teaching method, so that was her excuse. Every so often she would get a strange feeling like she wasn't welcome there though, and she felt like a third wheel. She tried to avoid this by becoming better friends with Peter, but somehow she was always left out of their little world. She wasn't faring quite as well as Ivy in the social department, and academics weren't much better. She wasn't off to the good start that she wanted and found it enormously hard to talk to anyone. She thanked God for the people she knew and hoped that she could network through them. She did make a friend named Rory during lunch, but she didn't really see her any other time. She was happy now though, as she knew someone in all of her classes, but next semester she had PE with Ivy, which was the perfect equation for misery. She talked with Peter a lot about how horrible they were doing and how much they missed the simple days of elementary school. Nadia was happy to see her brother getting along so well with Peter. By the end of the first semester they were almost inseparable and Nadia managed to make her own little niche in the group. Ivy gave up on Jason entirely after awhile and became an almost tolerable human being to Nadia and they could finally talk about something other then her brother. Jason found it easier to talk to Ivy after awhile but he could never really connect with Matt. He seemed like a cool kid, but for some reason he just didn't trust Jason and it was obvious. He talked to Peter though, and found him very approachable. Peter liked Matt, but he was rather shy and had a bit of a difficult time adjusting to the new school. Peter wasn't exactly the most popular kid, but he talked with several classmates and sometimes he and Jason ate lunch with Alan who was in their math class. Their first year was going by smoothly and Peter never imagined that he would've enjoyed St. Cecilia's so much. In fact, he didn't even want to go home by the time Christmas break came along. Sure, he missed his mother, but she visited him often and called almost every weekend. Claire was happy that Peter had made a friend like Jason, who could be such a positive influence on him. She was formally introduced when she went to pick Peter up for Christmas, but she never got to meet his parents. Jason felt uncomfortable around her, however. He couldn't explain it, but for some reason she just made him feel guilty whenever she smiled at him.

Ivy and Matt when home for Christmas together, as they were neighbors and their families always spent Christmas together. Nadia was happy with the quiet, but soon got bored after she finished packing. She went over to Jason's room to wait with him, after all, he was probably bored too since Peter left. She let herself in and sat on the couch "Hey, it's me!" she shouted as she turned the TV on. "When do you think mom's gonna manage to get over here? I think some of the staff here has already left." she got no response to this however, and wondered if her brother was even in the dorm. She looked around seeing no sign of him and wondered where he could've gotten to. She found some of his things packed up in several bags, but no Jason. Passing by the kitchen window, out of the corner of her eye she saw a lone figure sitting by a small grassy knoll by the small, man-made lake. She noticed the shirt and blond hair of her brother right away, but wondered what he could've been doing out there. It was on school grounds, but it wasn't that close, and Nadia couldn't even be entirely sure it was him. She sighed. Her brother was so weird sometimes. She knew it was her sisterly duty to retrieve him. As the logical one, it was her job to knock sense into him in times like these. He had to be here to wait for mom. She was pretty sure she wouldn't leave without him, but at the same time that it wouldn't surprise her if she did. She didn't really feel like hiking all the way out there, but it had to be done, and her dad would say that she could use the exercise.

There was an overwhelming silence when Peter left with his ever-so-cheerful mother. It was snowing out side but one night they managed to figure out the heater and successfully avoided freezing to death. He sat at the kitchen table and looked out the window at the stretch of land covered in an icy white blanket. He found it funny how the trees could be bare, yet covered with snow at the same time. He knew his mom would take her sweet time in picking him and Nadia up, and it couldn't hurt to take a little walk. Plus, he was bored now that he had no one to talk to. Ivy and Matt were still there but he just wasn't in the mood to talk to them. He thought about heading over to talk to Nadia, but once again, he just wasn't in the mood. He couldn't really think of anything to say. Even though at the moment, there were plenty of things to talk about. He could talk about his parents, Christmas, the weather, starting a new semester once they got back, even about how he planned to join the middle school baseball team in the spring, but for some reason he just wasn't in a talking mood, and left it at that. He got up and put on his heavy jacket, headed downstairs at out of the building. He hated how you had to go through a whole process before leaving the building, even if you were going to stay on campus. He knew several older kids who found other exits and used them to sneak out at night, but that wasn't for him. He wondered how those kids could do that, then go to church the next day and call themselves Good Catholics. He checked out, then walked along a small, snowy trail until he got to the frozen lake. He sat out and breathed heavily, it was a lot further then he thought. Still, it was nice to be surrounded by nature and not have to worry about another soul finding him. He took in the silence and the cool air and rested his head on his knees. He could stay there forever and never have to move. He knew this spot would change with the seasons, but it would still offer the same comfort, and the fact that it was just him and the trees and no one else added to the peace. He laughed at the idea of such an innocent secret. Really, there was nothing wrong with him coming out here, but at the same time, he didn't want anyone else to know about it. He wasn't sure why, but he knew people would laugh at the idea of him having a spot like this, even though they probably had one too. Or maybe they'd just be jealous because they wouldn't let themselves find a place like this. He wished Peter were there right now. He laughed at how deep his thoughts were getting, but he knew that Peter wouldn't laugh. He'd want to know more. He always did, that boy could not stop asking questions. Sure, Jason was happy to answer, but after awhile he felt like he was chatting on about himself while Peter was forced to listen. He felt like Peter knew him more then he knew Peter, which was probably true. Jason decided that it would be a new years resolution for him to get Peter to start talking about himself more. He lay in the snow and tried to stop thinking, to just relax and enjoy himself. He knew his parents were coming soon, and he'd have to spend two awkward weeks with the family with his only comfort being his sister and the fact that he was coming back here. He was sinking into sleep when he heard someone approaching. He quickly sat up and turned around, to see Nadia standing there panting and frowning at him. There goes the secret. "What are you doing all the way out here?" she managed to breathe out. "Just waiting, I guess." Jason responded. "When did you get out here?" she asked as she sat right where she was just standing. "I'm not sure. I headed out as soon as Peter left." he responded. He figured if anyone would've found out about this place, it would've been her. He was sad, but he should've expected it. "That was almost two hours ago! You probably didn't even say goodbye to Matt or Ivy. Plus, mom's going to be here soon, so we better head back." she said as she slowly stood up, "Come on". Jason sighed. He knew he could return once he came back, but he'd rather not leave at all. He sat up and Nadia helped him wipe the snow off of his back. "Don't you just love winter?" she asked as they walked back to the building. "It's okay. Awfully cold though, don't you think?"  
"Well summer gets awfully hot, but that doesn't stop people from loving it."  
"This is true. So then why don't you like summer?"  
"It's too hot."  
"But you just said-"  
"I know what I said! That's why I said _some _people. We can't all like the same season. So what's your favorite?"  
"I don't have one, really."  
"No? That's weird. Most people usually know what season they like. It's pretty simple. You either like hot weather, or cold weather."  
"I'm not really sure."  
"Well I guess you better think about it."  
"Why?"  
"No reason. It's just a nice little fact to know about yourself, I guess." she said as they arrived at the building. Their mom was waiting for them in the lobby. Once she saw them she ran up to them and told them to hurry and get their things or they were going to be late. Jason took one last look at his school and had to remind himself that he was coming back. He also remembered that he had Peter's phone number, so he felt fine.

Once Christmas was said and done, everyone returned and got used to new classes all over again. Jason made it on the baseball team, Peter became an altar boy, Matt joined student government, Ivy joined drama, and Nadia played the cello in the middle school orchestra. Late January, Nadia and Jason's birthday rolled around, and Peter found out the interesting fact that Jason and Nadia were technically born on different days. Jason was born at 11:57 pm on January 22 while Nadia was born at 12:01 am on January 23. "So he's a Capricorn, while I'm an Aquarius" Nadia would say with a smile. They also celebrated Ivy's birthday in April and Matt's in May. Peter told them that they'd have to wait for July to celebrate his and they agreed to do something for him before they left for summer. Thing really weren't too different once spring came around though. They were just as busy, and despite a little drama between Nadia and Ivy, things were pretty peaceful. Towards the end of the year they saw the seniors put on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew before they graduated. Every year they put on a Shakespearian play and Peter thought of how cool it would be if he could be in the one they did. Easter break wasn't anything special, they were only gone for a week, then had to come right back to work. The last two months of the school year were the worst, it's when things started slowing down and everyone was anxious to go home for the summer. Peter envied the seniors who finished in May, while everyone else had to wait until June. He felt sorry for Jason though. He couldn't hear the end of how awful it was during Christmas from him and his sister and felt bad that they had to spend almost three months with their parents during the summer. He reminded them that they spent more time at school then with their parents and that made them feel better. He gave Jason his phone number before winter break, and told him to call if it got too bad. They talked almost everyday; it didn't even feel like they were several hours apart. He figured the same thing would happen over the summer, so he felt just fine.

Peter went to the church one last time and said a final prayer before packing for the summer. He prayed that seventh grade would be as good as sixth and that no tragedies should strike him. He thanked the Lord for his family and friends and prayed for their health and safety. He said goodbye to the Priest and went back to his room to pack. He saw that Jason didn't even bother to start, and he said that he knew his dad wouldn't get him until later that night. "Well, sorry to leave you alone again." Peter said as he neatly placed his clothes in his suitcase. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll cope somehow." Jason responded with a smile. Peter put his bags by the door and sat on the couch and waited for his mom. She would be there soon. Jason sat at the kitchen table and looked outside again. He saw in the distance, his spot by the lake that was so different now. Where there was white, there was now vivid green, and the lake had a new life to it. He was stirred out of his reverie by a knock at the door. Peter sat up and greeted his mother as she walked in. She said hi to Jason, and Bill and Ted were waiting right there to help them with the bags. "We better hurry." his mom said, "Your father's home". They picked up his things and headed out the door. "I guess I'll see you...next year." Peter said, with a sudden melancholy. "I'll call you." Jason said as he waved goodbye. Once Peter left, that same old silence took over. Jason knew what he was going to do. He sat up and hiked over to that same spot. It was quite warm, and he sat under a tall tree for shade. He sat for a while a looked out on the lake. It was so still on the surface, yet there was so much going on underneath. There was a whole life that no one saw. He sat with his thoughts until he heard the grass ruffling with the approach of his sister. The poor thing looked exhausted as she waved her hand to beckon him to follow her back. He obediently sat up and walked back with her. The sun was setting and cast a lovely shade of scarlet on everything. His dad wasn't there yet, but he was on his way, so him and Nadia brought their things down and waited in the lobby. "I miss everyone already. Even princess Ivy in some twisted way." Nadia said as they waited on their father. "We'll have to call Peter quite a bit." she continued. "Yea." Jason said, as he thought about the summer without him. Jason had gotten so used to him being there and seeing his face, that he knew it would be hard to adjust. It was hard enough during winter break, and that was just two weeks. "I'll miss them. But we'll see them next year. I hope they don't change too much over the summer." Nadia said. "Yea." Jason replied. He realized that he wasn't being too talkative and Nadia probably knew that something was on his mind. She _always _knew. For some reason, she didn't ask though, and Jason was wondering what she was thinking of. "He's a cool kid, isn't he?" she said softly with a smile. Jason looked up at her. He just realized that he had been staring at his hands on his lap the entire time. "We got lucky with this one, didn't we?" she asked, her smiled widening. 'We?' Jason thought, 'Last time I checked, he was _my _roommate'. Just as she seemed to read his mind, he could read hers. He could tell by the way she acted around him that she probably liked him. She found any excuse to be around him and she didn't talk to anyone quite like how she talked to Peter. "Why don't you talk to Rory?" he asked as he looked around the lobby. "She's your friend, right? I'll probably be talking to Peter most of the time." he said. Nadia's face fell at this. She had hoped that they could share a friend, but perhaps she became too possessive. He's right. Peter's _his _friend. He had his friends, and she had hers. Peter would probably rather talk to Jason anyway. She wouldn't get jealous of Jason's relationship with Peter. It was completely different from the one she wanted with him. How awesome would it be for your boyfriend to be your brother's best friend? As soon as she had that thought she regretted it. That would defiantly _not _be awesome. It always sounded good on paper, but never really worked out. She decided to not let that scare her. She liked Peter, and that was that. It didn't make a difference whether he was Jason's friend or not. Right now, she was pretty sure that he was closer to Jason now, but she would have to change that. That would be her goal for next year. She didn't intend to have a rivalry with her twin brother over a friend, but so be it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of their father and they were ushered out the door. Once again, Jason took one last look at the school. For some reason he felt like Lot's wife who turned into a pillar of salt after looking back upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He wasn't sure why though. St. Cecilia's was anything but Sodom and Gomorrah. As they drove back home, Jason was already compiling a list of what he wanted to talk to Peter about. He smiled. Maybe they could get together over the summer. He could probably spend a few weeks at his place. It's not like his parents would care. Plus, Nadia wouldn't be there, though he wasn't sure why that thought was so comforting. He'd have to call Peter about it. As he headed back home to be with his ever-loving parents, he couldn't help but smile, and think that summer wouldn't be so bad after all. In fact, he was starting to think he rather enjoyed hot weather.

**Was it okay? I realize that this had almost no Ivy or Matt. I was thinking of writing a chapter devoted to them. It's not like it would be this long, but it would just help develop them and there relationship with everyone else a bit. I'm going to try to make the chapters after this a bit shorter, but I really hope I have bored anyone.**


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